The first playing cards appeared in East Asia, with China and Korea mentioning them as early as the 12th century. Card games are among the most beloved forms of entertainment within the realm of tabletop games, with the first card games emerging in the 13th century.
These games have evolved significantly over the centuries, offering a wide range of complexities and strategies that continue to captivate players worldwide. Whether it’s the strategic depth of Bridge, the fast-paced excitement of Blackjack, or the bluffing and betting of Texas Hold’em, there’s a card game out there for every type of player.
For those looking to explore the thrilling world of card games and more, Staycasino review offers a comprehensive website where enthusiasts can dive into a variety of games, including the timeless classics and modern twists on traditional favorites.
Blackjack
Famously known in Russia also as “Twenty-One,” the competition is between the players and the dealer. The player’s goal is to score more points than the dealer but not more than 21. Exceeding this amount results in a “bust,” and the player loses.
The game is played with 1 to 8 decks. If the dealer gets a blackjack (21) in the first two cards, all players (except those who also have 21) lose. The rest stay at their bets. Players place their bets with chips.
Bridge
Regarded as a card game that has been recognized as an Olympic sport, there are several variants of bridge: rubber (casual) and duplicate (competitive). The game involves two pairs of players, with partners sitting opposite each other.
A standard 52-card deck is used. One of the players deals the cards. In rubber bridge, the dealer changes, whereas in duplicate bridge, the deal is only a formality, as all deals are prepared in advance. The objective is to score the most points. This requires choosing the most advantageous suit as trump, taking many tricks, and making a contract. Bidding determines the trump suit and the number of tricks.
Gin Rummy
This game has Mexican origins. It involves 2 to 4 players using a 52-card deck. The goal is to lay down cards in as many combinations as possible. Depending on the number of players, each receives 7-10 cards. A card combination consists of cards of the same rank or suit.
Also, players aim to make fewer moves. A move consists of discarding one card and drawing another from the deck. The game’s winner receives 75% of the prize pool. The rest is distributed among other participants.
Durak (Fool)
The most widespread game in the former Soviet republics involves a 36-card deck, with 2-6 players participating. The game’s objective is to get rid of all one’s cards. Each player is dealt 6 cards, and one of the remaining cards in the deck is revealed to determine the trump suit.
The trump suit can beat any card of a non-trump suit by rank. The loser is the player who fails to get rid of their cards. The game also allows for a draw. “Durak” has several variations, with “throw-in” and “transfer” being the most popular.
Kozel
Played by 2 or more people, often in teams, using a 36-card deck, but only 32 cards are played. The objective is to score the most points. Each player gets 4 cards, and one trump card is chosen and hidden. The player must discard useless cards or those of lesser value to the opponent while collecting high-point cards.
The game rules are highly adaptable, allowing for different numbers of cards to be played and the use of various suits and ranks in making a move.
Solitaire
The game got its name because, at the start, cards are arranged in the shape of a right-angled triangle. Solitaire is a patience game (a card game for one person) using a 52-card deck. The objective is to move each suit to a pile in ascending order, from ace to king.
The player faces 7 rows of cards, each stack containing one more card than the last (the first having only one). Only the top cards are visible; the rest must be uncovered.
Open cards can be moved and collected, thus freeing new ones. Cards at the bottom become accessible once the top ones are removed, gradually making all cards available.
Spider
This game, like the previous one, is a form of solitaire. The goal is to arrange all cards by suit in ascending order. It’s played with a 54-card deck. The deck is shuffled, and cards are laid out randomly in ten stacks. The first six consist of 6 cards, the rest of 5.
Only the top cards are visible to the player, who moves them between stacks in various amounts until the solitaire is completed. Cards are moved onto those of higher rank, regardless of suit. Once a suit sequence is completed, it is removed.
Preference
A trick-taking game, often involving 3-4 players, using a 32-card deck. One suit is designated as trump. In any form of preference, the player’s objective is to take a specified number of tricks or to avoid taking tricks altogether, scoring the most points.
A trick is the total number of cards played by all players in one round. During the game, a specially marked sheet—the “bullet”—is used to record scores. After dealing, bidding begins, which varies depending on the game type.
There are three variations of the game: one player tries to take the number of tricks they declare, while others try to prevent this; one player tries not to take any tricks, while others aim to force tricks on them; each player attempts to take the fewest tricks possible.
Drunkard
A simple card game played with either a 36 or 54-card deck. The number of players can be 2 or more. The objective is to collect the entire deck of cards, or in some variations, to give all one’s cards to the opponent. After shuffling, the deck is divided equally among the players.
Players do not look at their cards but place them near themselves, face down. The first player takes a card from their pile and places it in the center of the table, followed by the other player.
Whoever has the higher card takes both cards. If the players’ cards are equal, each lays down another card. The player who runs out of cards first is eliminated from the game.
Texas Hold’em
Considered the most popular variation of poker worldwide. It involves 2-10 players. During the game, 2 pocket and 5 community cards are used. The objective is to form the best combination using 5 out of the 7 cards.
After mandatory bets are placed, each player receives 2 face-down cards, and 5 cards are laid face-up on the table. After each card deal, a round of betting occurs. In the end, all players who made it through the betting rounds and met their bets reveal their combinations, and the winner is determined.
Thousand
A preference-type game involving 2-4 players. The ultimate goal is to score more than 1000 points. The game uses 24 cards. Each player is dealt 7 cards, three of which remain in the stock. Bidding then begins for the stock, which is won by the player who can make the highest bid. Players then play their cards, with the highest card taking the trick.
Points are calculated based on the card values remaining with the player. The game is repeated until someone scores 1000 points. If a player’s total reaches 880 points, they must immediately score 120 or more points to win. If they fail three times, they receive a 120-point penalty. A player receiving this penalty three times is eliminated from the game.
Hearts
The objective of the classic game Hearts is to score as few points as possible by avoiding winning tricks that contain hearts or the queen of spades, which carry penalty points. It’s a great game because it requires strategic thinking, as players must balance between taking certain tricks to control the flow of the game and avoiding penalty cards.
The element of predicting opponents’ moves and the potential for dramatic shifts in strategy with each hand make Hearts a continuously engaging and challenging card game for players of all levels.
Nap
In this game, decks of 32 and 54 cards are used, with 2-12 players participating. The objective is to take the declared number of tricks. Players are dealt 4 cards each. After the deal, each decides what bid to declare: nap (2 or more tricks), whist (1 trick), or pass.
Then, the play of the tricks begins. For each trick taken, the player takes part of the kitty based on their declared bid. The player who took the trick leads the next. After the play of tricks, they are counted. The bank is shared among players who failed to “burn out” during the deal.
